Nevis v. Rideout Memorial Hospital ( 2022 )

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 9 FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 10 11 JOSEPH DANIEL NEVIS, No. 2:17-cv-02295-DAD-AC 12 Plaintiff, 13 v. NOTICE RE PROPOSED JUDGMENT 14 RIDEOUT MEMORIAL HOSPITAL, et al. 15 Defendants. 16 17 18 The jury in this action returned its verdict on October 28, 2022. Since then, at the request 19 of the parties, hearings have been held and briefing submitted addressing the precise language 20 that should be appropriately employed in entering judgment pursuant to the jury’s verdict. 21 However, because the parties’ positions on that issue remain somewhat unclear in the court’s 22 view, they will be provided a final opportunity to express any objection to the judgment language 23 the court intends to employ as set forth below. 24 * * * 25 PROPOSED JUDGMENT 26 The Clerk of the Court is directed to enter Judgment in this action in favor of plaintiff and 27 against defendants as to all of plaintiff’s claims, according to the verdict of the trial jury returned 28 in open court on October 28, 2022, except as modified herein. The modifications conform the 1 jury’s verdict to the provisions of California Civil Code §§ 1431.2 and 3333.2. 2 1. Judgment is entered in favor of plaintiff and against each defendant, severally, as 3 to noneconomic damages awarded as follows: 4 a. Defendant National Railroad Passenger Corporation shall owe $1,050,000 5 in noneconomic damages, severally; 6 b. Defendant Hector Lopez, MD shall owe $125,000 in noneconomic 7 damages, severally; and 8 c. Defendant Rideout Memorial Hospital shall owe $125,000 in noneconomic 9 damages, severally; 10 2. Judgment is entered in favor of plaintiff and against defendant National Railroad 11 Passenger Corporation, defendant Hector Lopez, MD, and defendant Rideout 12 Memorial Hospital, jointly and severally, as to the economic damages awarded in 13 the total amount of $4,940,000.1 Each defendant’s pro-rata share of the total 14 amount of economic damages based on the jury verdict’s allocation of comparative 15 fault is as follows:2 16 a. Defendant National Railroad Passenger Corporation’s pro-rata share of the 17 economic damages awarded is $380,000; 18 b. Defendant Hector Lopez, MD’s pro-rata share of the economic damages 19 awarded is $2,280,000; and 20 ///// 21 1 The court notes that it appears, under California’s joint and several liability doctrine, before a plaintiff may seek to recover economic damages from a defendant beyond the share that they are 22 culpable for, plaintiff must show that the other defendant(s) are insolvent or did not pay their 23 share. See Evangelatos v. Superior Ct., 44 Cal. 3d 1188, 1198 (1988) (“[I]f one or more tortfeasors prove to be insolvent and are not able to bear their fair share of the loss, the shortfall 24 created by such insolvency should be apportioned equitably among the remaining culpable parties[.]”) (emphasis added); see also Paradise Valley Hosp. v. Schlossman, 143 Cal. App. 3d 25 87, 93 (1983) (“An insolvent defendant’s shortfall should be shared proportionately by the solvent defendants as though the insolvent or absent person had originally not participated.”). 26 27 2 See Safeway Stores, Inc. v. Nest-Kart, 21 Cal. 3d 322, 328 (1978) (holding that apportioning liability among defendants on a comparative fault basis is not precluded under the state’s 28 contribution statutes). 1 C. Defendant Rideout Memorial Hospital’s pro-rata share of the economic 2 damages awarded is $2,280,000. 3 4 ok 5 Any party objecting to the proposed judgment set forth above shall file and serve their 6 || objection and any supporting authority before midnight on December 19, 2022. The court will 7 || direct the entry of judgment as soon as possible thereafter. 8 IT IS SO ORDERED. ” | Dated: _ December 15, 2022 Dab A. 2, aol 10 UNITED STATES DISTRIC¥ JUDGE 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28